A day in the life
Meet Guadalupe. As our Van Driver/Early Childhood Aide and a 2015 AVANCE-Austin graduate with two young children of her own, she is passionate about making a difference for families through education. In this “Day in the Life”, Guadalupe takes you through her busy day of the AVANCE infant classroom and beyond.
5:00 AM Wake up and begin my usual morning routine of showering and time to myself before my children wake up.
6:00 AM My family and I eat breakfast together. The night before, I usually prepare everybody’s lunches, so it’s ready to go and no rush in the morning.
7:00AM: I drop off my children at daycare and preschool. Time to begin the work day! Driving the AVANCE van, I pick up the families for class, and during the route I listen to them talk about their weekend and what toy they were making. It’s a joy to see all the blossoming friendships.
9:00 AM: When we arrive the mothers, toddlers, and infants go to their rooms. I head straight to the Infant classroom, where I assist the lead teacher, Martha. We start the class by singing the good morning/Buenos dias song and call out each of their names. There is so much dancing during this time!
10:00 AM This week the infants are learning about the color green, so we give them lime flavored jello to explore its texture, smell, color and taste. They’ve grow
n so fast during these 9 months! All but one of them can hold a spoon all by themselves.
10:30 AM Martha and I take the infants for a spin in the new red buggy (Thanks to the Lola Wright Foundation!) and we stroll around the halls. Some of the parents look out the window of their classroom and waved.
11:00 AM I love feeding the children during snack time. When they see the tray of food, they raise their hands as if to say, ‘I’m waiting!’ They know their food is coming and are so happy. Their motor skills are improving.
12:00 PM Martha and I dim the lights to signal naptime. I turn on the CD player for lullaby music and we put the infants in cribs assembled by Wells Fargo volunteers.
1:00 PM: One by one, parents arrived to pick up their children and we tell them about their day, and the important skills each one is developing. It’s a calm transition, but sometimes the infants don’t want to leave! I then drop off the families in the van and return to the office for lunch.
2:30 PM Every Monday I purchase the snacks from HEB and supplies from for the entire week. Because I didn’t go to the store today, I make invoices for next week’s snacks and supplies.
4:00 PM I leave AVANCE and pick up my daughter for her dance lessons and go to my ballet folklorico practice. After picking up my son from his swimming class, we all head home.
7:00 PM Dinner time!
9:00 PM I am exhausted and fall asleep immediately. What a long and rewarding day it was! Since I’ve been with AVANCE, my doctor told me that I look like a different person because I have more energy. I told my doctor, “It’s better for me to be busy and work; sometimes I’m tired, but I’m happy. That’s what is most important.”